Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard is among the films being considered for Venice 2026, where the festival runs from September 2-12.
The project is led by Rooney Mara and Kate Mara, giving Herzog a cast anchor as programmers weigh a lineup that is still taking shape. Tom McCarthy’s The Statement, Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care and Searchlight Pictures’ Wild Horse Nine from Venice regular Martin McDonagh are described as stronger bets for the festival, while Andrew Haigh’s A Long Winter and Paul Schrader’s The Basics Of Philosophy are listed as further candidates.
The roundup is a pre-festival look at titles that may debut on the Lido, and Herzog’s film is mentioned in that wider field rather than as a confirmed selection. That distinction matters because Venice is still months away, and the final shape of the competition and the surrounding program can still change before September.
There is also a separate red-carpet draw in the mix: Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz would support Florian Zeller’s thriller Bunker if it lands in Venice, while Shane Meadows could return with Chork, his first film in over a decade. For now, Bucking Fastard sits in the same uncertain zone as the rest of the speculation — a serious possibility, but not yet a locked-in entry.
The clearest answer, then, is that Werner Herzog is back in the Venice conversation, but not yet in the official selection. If Bucking Fastard makes the final list, it would join a crowded field that already includes several better-positioned contenders and a handful of high-profile names that could still move in either direction before the festival opens.
